Meow! Chapter 2
In Which an Uchiha Refuses a Tomato
"I called you in sick, Tsunade bought enough of it about my staying home to look after you to let me off the hook about hospital duty. We're all set, at least for the next three days or so."
She sighed at his unhappy nod as he lay, now fully clothed, in a depressed heap on his living room's couch.
"Sasuke…please don't be sad…we're going to fix you," she murmured in a vain attempt to cheer him up.
One of his drooping ears flicked, the feline equivalent of a "Yeah, whatever…"
"Oh, Sasuke…" she sighed, sitting on an unoccupied cushion beside him. "Don't be sad…please?"
At his lack of response, she thought to herself for a moment, before reaching out and laying her fingers just behind his transformed ears.
She smiled, noticing how he relaxed almost instantly when she started scratching gently around the soft, black, furred things adorning his head that instantly perked up at her touch.
So…it's more than just ears and a tail that's different…It even affects his behavior…
"Sasuke…" she giggled after a minute or so. "You're…"
One of his eyes cracked open when she stopped, with a look that clearly wanted her to keep scratching. "What is it?" he grumbled sleepily.
"You're…you…you were purring."
She almost burst out laughing when he literally bristled in annoyance.
"But it's cute!" she giggled.
"I don't do cute," he mumbled huffily, his jet-black tail twitching in his frustration as its tip curled up from hanging around his knees.
Her arms found their way around him. "You're right…you do sexy so much better."
He smirked and hugged her back, not realizing his head was rubbing affectionately against hers until she started laughing again, her tiny frame shaking with uncontrollable giggles.
"Stupid cats…" he muttered, scowling at his absolutely unfair predicament.
"Sasuke…" she said softly, remembering something.
"What is it?" he asked, surprised when she pulled away from him and gazed trustingly into his dark eyes.
"You…you said it happened if…does this mean that…I was your first?" she managed to ask.
Despite his protests, he did indeed look unimaginably cute when his eyes widened slightly in surprise at her question.
"Of course you were. I've never let anyone else as close as you. A lot of girls chased after me while I was…away from Konoha, but I kept ahead of them."
He couldn't possibly stay annoyed with her when her face lit up like that.
"Oh, Sasuke…" she whispered, cuddling back into his embrace. "You're the best…"
She giggled quietly when the silky-soft fuzziness of his tail tickled her hand, and decided against reminding him of the purring noises he was making as she hugged him.
This is so weird…but…so…nice…
She didn't notice how her thoughts trailed off as she stroked his hair, absentmindedly scratching around his furry ears again. He only purred in response, holding her closer in peaceful pleasure.
Her eyes opened in surprise when he froze suddenly, the fur on his ears bristling straight up.
"What is it, Sasuke?" she asked, concerned.
His eyes narrowed as he stared in the direction of the front door.
"It's…Naruto," he mumbled. "Outside."
She gasped, clambering to her feet and smoothing the wrinkles out of her clothes. "Oh no, no, no…Not now! Why now?!"
She glanced at him over her shoulder as she scurried out of the room. "Hide yourself, I'll do my best to stall him!"
Leaving the door to the living room open behind her just in case, she inhaled deeply before trotting off towards the front door, trying her best to come up with a plan to deter their teammate from entering. What could get him out quickly without the chance of return?
Sure enough, once she reached the house's entrance, somebody was hammering like crazy on the mercifully thick wood, rambling at the top of his lungs.
"Sakura? Sakura, are you in there? Tsunade said-"
She nervously pulled the door open to meet with a flustered Naruto.
"Naruto!" she whispered, gesturing for him to calm down. "Sasuke's sick, I'm taking care of him. Now be quiet or you'll wake him up!"
"But Sakura," protested the blonde, "I have to talk to him! It's about something from Tsunade!"
"Well, it can wait," she said. "He's asleep, he's got a high fever and shouldn't be woken up. Come back later."
"But Sakura-a-a," whined Naruto, giving her a pleading pout. "It's really, really important!"
"Then I'll tell him for you when he wakes up."
Naruto sighed. "You…you can't. It's…that important."
"I told Tsunade he was sick!" she grumbled, smacking a hand against her forehead. "Why can't she remember a little something like that for once in her life?"
"Well, whatever he has, if it's not contagious, can I talk to him? What's he got, anyways?"
"Look, Naruto," she muttered, ignoring his question. "I'm really sorry but he's very sick, and can't see anyone right now. I'm just around to feed him, give him his medication, and clean up the puke."
Score! she thought when the blonde turned a faint shade of green.
"But…but Sakura…" he said, lowering his voice to a whisper and leaning close to her ear. "It's…about the Akatsuki."
She flinched, shuddering.
"He's got to know…Hokage's orders."
"Well…" she mumbled, indecisiveness taking over her previously unshakable standing. "…I guess I could let you…but remember, he's very ill."
"I know, Sakura. I won't do anything I shouldn't."
She took a step back, allowing her teammate to enter through the doorway.
"He's upstairs, probably asleep. Ok?" she said, enunciating key parts of the phrase, knowing Sasuke's heightened senses could pick it up from just about anywhere in the spacious house.
"Hmm? Yeah, sure."
"Ok, now…" she said in a hushed voice. "Be very quiet."
The quietness order was just a ruse to stall as long as possible, creeping slowly up the staircase and freezing at every creak and groan the old wood emitted.
"Geez, Sakura. You're kinda jumpy," remarked Naruto.
"Shh!" she hushed, putting her finger to her lips before turning back to the hallway leading to Sasuke's room.
"Sakura," he continued in a softer voice. "Why does this whole place smell like cats?"
She flinched, eyes wide. "What are you talking about?" she managed to say without stuttering.
"You heard me. It's like an animal shelter in here."
"Oh well, who knows? Now remember, be very quiet."
At his quick nod, she grasped the handle of the door to the bedroom, turning it as slowly as humanly possible.
"Sasuke?" she said quietly, relieved at seeing a large lump hiding under the bed covers. "Are you awake?"
The lump grunted, shifting a little.
"Sasuke, Naruto's here to see you…" she whispered, stepping cautiously into the room as if the floor was covered in mines.
"Nnnh…g'way…" both shinobi heard a raspy voice mutter.
"Wow…" whispered Naruto in surprise. "He didn't call me a moron. He really is sick."
"Sasuke? Can you breathe under there?" asked Sakura, genuinely concerned for his lung capacity.
She smiled through her nervousness when his face appeared, the rest of him still covered by the blankets. He blinked, giving his best annoyed-frown as though they actually had woken him up. The dark circles around his eyes from their Movie Night certainly had come in handy.
"What is it, Sakura…?" He faked a yawn, careful to hide his fangs.
"Hey, stupid," said a grinning Naruto, elbowing past his female teammate to stand in front of the seemingly-bedridden shinobi. "Tsunade ordered me over here, just so you know."
"Go away, fool…" mumbled the Uchiha, retreating back under his sheets.
"Sasuke, listen to me," said Naruto, leaning close to the huddled lump. "It's about the Akatsuki guys."
The lump froze as Sakura winced.
"Th…The what?!" the two heard Sasuke's muffled voice blurt out before he emerged again, careful to keep his head covered by the blankets as he lay looking up at Naruto, still managing to look somewhat sick.
"Yeah…" murmured the blonde, "about them."
Sakura figured the fur on Sasuke's obscured ears and tail was probably standing straight up.
"Some of them have been sighted outside the village…really close to the gate. There was going to be a mission to go look for them, see what they were doing and all, and you were supposed to lead it, but…"
Sasuke moaned, closing his eyes. "It's not fair."
"But," said Naruto, his grin returning. "We're postponing the mission until you get better! So rest up and we can go hunt some rogue ninja!"
Sasuke muttered something about evil conspiracies involving viruses and blonde idiots for a few seconds.
"Come on, stupid," said a grinning Naruto, unaware of his teammate's terrified flinch when he nonchalantly knuckled him in the side of the head. "Get better, alright?"
"S-sure, he'll be fine, won't you, Sasuke?" blurted Sakura quickly, grabbing Naruto's wrist and steering him towards the exit. "Go back to sleep, you need your rest."
Naruto waved to his friend as he disappeared back under his sheets before the door was quickly closed.
"Come on now, Naruto," urged Sakura, almost shoving him down the stairs and out the front door. "Go home and wash your hands, don't come running to me if you catch his fever."
"Okie-dokie, Sakura!" he said cheerily. "See you when he's all better!"
She barely kept herself from slamming the door closed the minute he was gone.
She exhaled in relief, turning her back to the door and leaning against it as she slid onto the floor.
Boy, that was a close one…
"Is he gone?"
"Yeah, he's gone."
She breathed deeply as Sasuke appeared from where he had been hiding behind a wall, his tail swishing around his knees.
"What do we do now…?" wondered Sakura out loud. "Tsunade forgot you're 'out sick,' she's bound to send more people to come see you…And we're going to have to figure out what to do, seeing as you're needed for a big mission as soon as possible…"
"Well…" he murmured, helping her to her feet. "I don't know about that, but I'm starving."
She realized neither of them had eaten breakfast, and it was well into the afternoon.
"Come on, I'll make something edible, ok?"
"…All right."
"Here you go," Sakura said cheerily, plopping a ripe, juicy tomato in front of his face. "Something to chew on."
She went back to the kitchen, scanning the limited foodstuffs possible to use for something that wouldn't kill them at the first bite.
"Hey Sasuke, do you like mushrooms, or…"
She turned towards him, and trailed off immediately. He was still holding the tomato, staring at it almost wistfully. The mere fact that it hadn't yet disappeared was surprising.
"Sasuke…? What's wrong with it?"
He glanced up at her, his cat ears drooping sadly.
"I can't eat this," he said forlornly. "I'm thinking of…fish…and chicken…and meat…"
"Oh…" she said, nodding. "I see…That's not very fair. Making you hate your favorite food."
She took the red fruit, instead poking around in the cupboards until her hand closed around something.
"Here you are, beef jerky."
He smiled, showing those tiny fangs again. "Thanks."
"So…Sasuke…" she murmured as he crunched on the strip of hardened meat. "What's it like, if you don't mind my asking? Being part cat."
She almost burst out laughing again when one of his ears flicked before he answered. It was just too adorable.
"Annoying," he answered after a few seconds. "You…notice every little thing that moves, and get this urge to play with dangly stuff…and you itch all over, so you have to scratch against stuff…"
"So…should I get the vacuum if you start shedding?"
She giggled at his frowning pout.
"Oops, maybe we should go get a litter-box in case you have to pee!"
"Sakura…"
"Should I get a stuffed mouse while I'm at it? Or some tinned salmon? Or maybe a comb to brush you with?"
"Sakura…"
"Sorry, sorry, it's just too easy!" she laughed. "I'm sorry!"
He sighed, rolling his eyes. "And I'm going to put up with you for the rest of my life."
"The rest of your nine lives!"
"…"
"What's the matter? Cat got your-"
To prevent her from making any more cat-related puns, Sasuke chose this moment to grab Sakura by the shoulders and crash his lips against hers. She shut up instantly.
"Mmm…Sasuke…" she murmured against his mouth, her fingers scratching his ears as he purred happily. "You know…"
"What?" he whispered, giving his best sleepy-gaze in hopes she'd stop talking and kiss.
"This would really suck if you had whiskers."
Ok, ok...the bad puns come from reading too much Dominic Deegan...and they won't stop here!
